September 20: Proverbs 29–31; Psalm 75; John 17

Proverbs 29–31 (Listen)

29He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
2When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
3He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
4By justice a king builds up the land,
but he who exacts gifts^{Or who taxes heavily“>1} tears it down.
5A man who flatters his neighbor
spreads a net for his feet.
6An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,
but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
7A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;
a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.
8Scoffers set a city aflame,
but the wise turn away wrath.
9If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
10Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless
and seek the life of the upright.^{Or but the upright seek his soul“>2}
11A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
but a wise man quietly holds it back.
12If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.
13The poor man and the oppressor meet together;
the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
14If a king faithfully judges the poor,
his throne will be established forever.
15The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
16When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
but the righteous will look upon their downfall.
17Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
he will give delight to your heart.
18Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,^{Or the people are discouraged“>3}
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
19By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
for though he understands, he will not respond.
20Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
will in the end find him his heir.^{The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain“>4}
22A man of wrath stirs up strife,
and one given to anger causes much transgression.
23One’s pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
24The partner of a thief hates his own life;
he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
25The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
26Many seek the face of a ruler,
but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.
27An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

The Words of Agur

30The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.^{Or Jakeh, the man of Massa“>5}

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.^{Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal“>6}
2Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!


5Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.


7Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
8Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.


10Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.


11There are those^{Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14“>7} who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.
12There are those who are clean in their own eyes
but are not washed of their filth.
13There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
how high their eyelids lift!
14There are those whose teeth are swords,
whose fangs are knives,
to devour the poor from off the earth,
the needy from among mankind.


15The leech has two daughters:
Give and Give.^{Or “Give, give,” they cry“>8}
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”:
16Sheol, the barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”


17The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be picked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.


18Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.


20This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”


21Under three things the earth trembles;
under four it cannot bear up:
22a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is filled with food;
23an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.


24Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.


29Three things are stately in their tread;
four are stately in their stride:
30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and does not turn back before any;
31the strutting rooster,^{Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins“>9} the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.^{Or against whom there is no rising up“>10}


32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
33For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.

The Words of King Lemuel

31The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2What are you doing, my son?^{Hebrew What, my son?“>11} What are you doing, son of my womb?
What are you doing, son of my vows?
3Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to take strong drink,
5lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;^{Hebrew those bitter in soul“>12}
7let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.^{Hebrew are sons of passing away“>13}
9Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10^{Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet“>14} An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17She dresses herself^{Hebrew She girds her loins“>15} with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.^{Or in double thickness“>16}
22She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

(ESV)

Psalm 75 (Listen)

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We^{Hebrew They“>1} recount your wondrous deeds.


2“At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
3When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
4I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
5do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”


6For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
7but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
8For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.


9But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

(ESV)

John 17 (Listen)

The High Priestly Prayer

17When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.^{Or from evil“>1} 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them^{Greek Set them apart (for holy service to God)“>2} in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself,^{Or I sanctify myself; or I set myself apart (for holy service to God)“>3} that they also may be sanctified^{Greek may be set apart (for holy service to God)“>4} in truth.

20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

(ESV)